


Misapprehension

by Rose_Blue99



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mentions of past abuse, Multi, Non-Graphic Violence, Past Mpreg, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, This is basically if Kingdom Hearts was a period novel, de-aged character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2019-12-25 14:31:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18263255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_Blue99/pseuds/Rose_Blue99
Summary: "It's really such a human thing thing to do, to be so caught up in our preconceived notions that we forget to evaluate ourselves, to remember that none of us are completely perfect. We all make mistakes and passing foolish judgment without fact might be the most fatal mistakes we've made."The Daku Empire and The Kingdom of Pax have been at odds with each other for centuries. King Xehanort II has requested that Isa, a proven traitor to the Empire if his imprisonment and the scar on his face were anything to go by, be the one to assist them in rescuing a supposed "hostage" from the clutches of their enemy. If he agreed, Isa was promised his freedom, and despite the risk of being caught in his betrayal against Pax, he wanted nothing more than to finally be home for first time in nearly a decade.However, the more time that Isa spent between both worlds, slowly unveiling the secrets and the history behind the war that ended seven years ago, the more he wanted to ask:What is the conflict between these two countries really about?(Currently in the process of being rewritten)





	1. A Meeting with the King

It was cold, cloudy, grey and rainy that day. The day that Isa was summoned to the castle by order of the King of Dāku Empire.

The sky seemed to weep in concern for Isa’s well-being as he was roughly dragged up the long walkway leading up to the castle’s entrance. Two guards were gripping his arms on either side to keep him restrained. In all honesty, Isa would be lying if he claimed to not be worried as well. Actually, fearful was more accurate, but he still kept a passive expression.

It must not have been very convincing because the man that lead the way would occasionally look over his shoulder and smirk at him – his dark hair streaked with grey was long and pulled into a ponytail. He wore an eyepatch and had a jagged scar on his cheek.

The last time Isa laid eyes on Oscuro Castle, the king branded him as a murderer and sentenced him to prison for life. That was two-thousand six-hundred and forty-five days ago. He knew that because he counted and recounted the marks he’d etched on the walls of his cell that morning to be sure. That’s how many days it’s been since he was first thrown into that dank prison, locked away from the world forever.

That fact that he was being brought back to the castle after all this time could only be because of one thing: an execution. The thought of having his life end so soon terrified Isa, but he didn’t struggle against the guards because, from the moment he was taken away the first time, he’d accepted that it would happen eventually.

All of this was because of a crime he didn’t even regret committing. He only wished he hadn’t been caught.

It seemed like an eternity, but they had finally reached it to the doors of the castle. On the other side of those doors was the audience chamber; Isa remembered that.

The one-eyed man turned around and looked at both guards. “I’ll take it from here, fellas.”

The guards seemed shocked at the dismissal and blinked at one another. Then one of them said, “But, Lord Protector, this prisoner has a record of past hostility towards noblemen. It’s ill-advised to be alone with him.”

“Oh, I’m aware.” That infuriating smirk was back on the man’s face as he reached out and grabbed Isa’s chin, not at all bothered by his dark glare. “It’s usually the pretty ones that’s got the most fight in them.” Isa growled lowly and snatched his face away. He tried to bite his fingers, but the guards held his shoulders and the man pulled his hand back too quickly.

“See? He’s just a little pissy, but he’s fine. I’ve got this.” He made shooing motions towards them until they eventually released their grips, nodded at the Royal Protector, and turned to leave. When they were gone, he looked at the newly formed bruises on Isa’s arms and scoffed. “Unsophisticated brutes, am I right? Don’t they know that’s no way to treat an omega?”

He was mocking him. Isa was likely about to be beheaded or worse in a matter of minutes and this man was unabashedly taunting him. He really just wanted to punch him in his good eye but that would only cause  _more_  trouble for himself.

“Well, anyway, let’s get you dusted off before we go in. Nothing we can do about the rags, but we want you looking at least a little presentable.”

“Presentable?” Isa couldn’t help but ask, voice hoarse from not being used in so long. What would be the purpose of looking nice in front of the king at this point? He was a confirmed traitor and outlaw, any chances at good impressions were a lost cause.

“Ah, so you  _can_  speak!” The man laughed. He dusted away some stray dirt off of Isa’s skin and clothes. “Yes, presentable. You’re gonna be standing before our ruler, after all. Don’t tell him I said so, but he’s kinda uppity.”

Once he decided that he looked decent enough, he turned and opened the doors to the audience chamber, gesturing for Isa to go in ahead of him. Isa kept his head down as he walked forward. His footsteps thumped heavily against the marble floor and reverberated off the high walls decorated with royal tapestry. He needed to take time to properly collect his courage before looking into the eyes of the sovereign.

It wasn’t until he was standing just a few feet away from the steps of the throne and that he finally lifted his gaze to meet the king’s. When he did, he was thrown completely off by the figure who sat there. He’d expected look upon the same elderly man that had branded him all those years ago. However, that was not that case at all.

This king was very young, younger than Isa by several years or so. Despite his age, though, his posture and overall demeanor radiated power and authority. He had an apathetic appearance that could be described as eerie on such a boyish face. Isa’s bewilderment must have been obvious from the way he stared in silence.

The young man raised a thin eyebrow. “I understand that you haven’t been around society in for quite a while, but you couldn’t have forgotten that it is common courtesy to bow before the king.” His tone was as flat as his expression; Isa couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or not.

Without further prompting, Isa immediately dropped to knees and pressed his palms to the floor in front of him while lowering his head. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I was just not expecting for you to be the king who summoned me here today.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” The Royal Protector spoke up from where he stood at the bottom of the throne’s steps. “It’s not like the prison keepers go out of their way to keep them up to date with things like that.”

The young man nodded. “Hm. Well, to ease your confusion, my name is Xehanort II of the family Oscuro. The man who arrested you was my father.”

Oh, that made sense. He actually did greatly favor his father – from the dark skin to the chilling yellow eyes. The only real differences were, of course, the ages and the fact that this young Xehanort had a head full of silver hair that stretched down his back.

“You may rise.” Isa stood and lifted his head to meet Xehanort’s eyes again. “It must be strange for you, standing in the same room but looking upon a different king than the one who put that scar on your face.”

It’s funny how Isa had not even thought about it, but when he mentioned it, the searing pain of having his face mutilated suddenly returned with a vengeance. It wanted to reach up and smooth the imaginary ache away, but he didn’t want to show any signs of vulnerability.

Xehanort continued, “Men and women from my court have told me many things about you, and I’d be lying if I said your story didn’t intrigue me. However, none of the tales that I’ve heard were quite as interesting as the fate of the Lord of Dusky Province. Or rather, former lord. You made sure that he wouldn’t see through to the end of his reign, didn’t you?” 

In the beginning of the speech, Isa stood dumbfounded at the fact that strangers – a high class strangers, but strangers nonetheless – not only were informed on his life in a nutshell, but made it so the ruler knew as well. He had not known that the biggest events of his life had become public knowledge among citizens of the Empire. Apparently, they had.

Though, when Xehanort mentioned his wrongdoing, the murder he’d committed, his blood ran ice cold.

“Your Majesty, I–”

Xehanort held up a hand to silence him. “Don’t worry. I didn’t call you here to order an execution. If I did, there’d be more people here.” He gestured around the large room to reaffirm that they were, in fact, mostly alone. “It’s just you, Xigbar, the servants, and me. It would be unnecessary to enforce a punishment for a crime you’d done nearly a decade ago.”

For a moment, Isa felt his entire body go slack from relief. He was going to live, so that was great news. Though, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to being spared than the king simply being merciful. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Then…why  _did_  you summon me here, Your Majesty? If you don’t mind my asking.”

Before answering the question, Xehanort turned to a servant boy hovering behind the throne. “My guest sounds a bit parched. Bring him some water, please.” Another not-so-subtle throat clear echoed through the room. He visibly suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “And bring a cup for the Royal Protector as well.

“Wow thanks! How uncharacteristically nice of you.” The man – whose name was apparently Xigbar – said, teasingly. The split-second scowl that he got in return was the only expression that showed itself on the young man’s face since Isa had gotten there.

When the servant returned with the water, Isa wasted no time drinking it. It was nothing like the water they gave him every once in a while through the window of his cell door. It was cold, clean, and clear as crystal.

“Now.” Xehanort began, “I’m sure you’re fully aware of the tensions between my empire and the Kingdom of Pax. Correct?” Isa nodded, but then a small frown appeared on his face. “You’re confused?”

“Well, yes. I thought that war ended years ago.”

He didn’t just think it, he was almost sure of it. He had been in prison for a full month when he heard the keepers talking about how The Empire lost to the "hikari land”. That’s the nickname the residents of the Empire had for it. Despite his situation, Isa was elated by the news. He had grown up during that war and he was glad know that his home was safe, his friends were safe.

“The war ended, that’s true.” Xehanort’s confirmation disrupted his thoughts. “Though I’m loathe to admit it, Pax was victorious. Many people were lost and my father was one of them.” He paused briefly, face once again unreadable. “Besides that, even though we weren’t exactly friendly neighbors, we have been tolerant of one another. Coexisted without rancor. However, something has happened and now we feel that they can no longer be entrusted with the possession of something – or rather, someone – we want.”

“And surprise, surprise, that’s where you come in.” Xigbar chimed in, gesturing towards Isa with his now empty cup. “I came and got you out of prison because we’ve got a rescue mission for you. I’d do it myself, but I think that after the part I played in the war, they’re a little tired of seeing my old face.”

At this point Isa’s mind was reeling. Was the King of Pax keeping someone hostage? That doesn’t sound like his former ruler at all. However, the more pressing issue was the fact that they wish for Isa to be the one to help them get this person out. “So you think that I’m the best person for this task?”

Xehanort nodded. “Like I said, we heard things about you. I found it remarkable that you were able to commit such a high profile murder and very nearly get away with it. Having more concern with trying to escape the border instead of covering your tracks is what got you caught. You don’t seem to be very efficient at managing your priorities. Fix that small issue, and you would make a great addition to my service. Also, as you are a former native of that land, it makes the task of gaining trust much easier.”

Before Isa could say something, Xigbar cut him off. “Look, you don’t even have to do that much. Just go in, make up some story about your absence, allow them to welcome you back and pretend like everything’s normal, and stay in contact with us. Watch everything and let us know when it’s the best time to come collect, when they’re least expecting it.”

“Who exactly are you trying to ‘collect’ anyway? What’s so special about this one hostage?” 

Xigbar looked up towards Xehanort as if to ask if he was allowed to disclose that particular information, but the king’s gaze remained on Isa. “Let’s just say that this…individual is of some importance to me as well as my brothers. I’ll spare you the backstory as it isn’t very interesting to get into at this very moment.”

It didn’t sound uninteresting. “Forgive me if I sound rude, but what benefit do I get from deciding to help you with this?”

“Well, your freedom, obviously. I’ll grant you a pardon and you will never have to worry about returning to that horrible cell with those despicable conditions. You can choose to live the rest of your life the way you wish, go wherever you want. You’ll have the choice, and you can refuse, of course. Just know that if you do agree, I will be eternally grateful.” As far away as he stood, Isa still managed to catch the spark of zeal that flashed through those golden irises, even as his other features remained unmoved.

Then it  _was_ that important, but Isa was torn. On the one hand, he wanted his freedom. He wanted more than anything to be able to go home and spend the rest of his life on the streets he grew up on. He wanted to hear his feet thud against the beautifully painted pavement, wanted to smell the heavy aroma of the flowers that blossomed at nearly every corner. He wanted to reunite with his loved ones. His parents wouldn’t be there, but he would have his other family. The royal family had practically been his own considering how much of his childhood he’d spent playing within the castle walls.

Still, these were selfish wishes. To agree to this, would be betrayal against his homeland. Even if he were to return there safely as Xehanort was promising, would they ever forgive him if they knew he played a part in this plan the enemy had concocted? If people were to die during this, Isa might as well be slaughtering them himself.

Except, there  _was_ a person, whoever they may be, supposedly being held hostage. He shouldn’t care about that, but he couldn’t help that he did. He knew more than anyone how it felt to want to escape, to go home and never have to wonder everyday if his captors would finally decide to do away with him.

Isa closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. “In order for me to agree to this, I need you to promise me that not a single person will be harmed. Neither noble nor commoner.”

“You don’t know how these situations normally work, do you?” Xigbar snorted. “They don’t like us. The moment we step foot over there, it’s gonna get crazy. We can’t help if there are casualties.”

Isa snapped his gaze over to him and snarled. “Well, I refuse to play a part in a massacre on the citizens of my home country. I’d rather be hanged.”

“Look, I don’t know what kind of scary bedtime stories you were told growing up, but we don’t just run around killing anyone we feel like. Accidents happen, but we’ll try to keep the death count as small as possible. How about that?”

“That’s still not good enough.”

“You know, I think you forgot that you’re not exactly in a position to be making demands–”

“In sight of the Seven Foretellers, I swear that not a single soul will be harmed.” Xehanort interrupted the disagreement before it could become too heated and they lost Isa’s interest. “If there is even one casualty, I will personally see to it the person responsible will be severely punished. How does that sound to you?”

He swore in the name of the Foretellers, well known and highly respected gods in the land of Pax, but not so much in the Empire. The fact that the young king was using the names of deities his country adamantly refused to believe in meant that he was attempting to appeal to Isa because  _he_  he believed in them. Perhaps, that meant he was sincere? Isa silently prayed to the Foretellers that he wasn’t making an awful mistake.

He bowed his head once more. “If you promise that no one will be hurt, then I accept. However, I’m afraid I’ll need the name of my charge. To ensure no harm comes to them while I’m keeping watch.”

Xehanort’s mask slipped briefly and confusion flickered across his features. Did he really not think of that? He leaned on an arm of the throne, placed his chin in his palm, and stared at an adjacent wall, looking pensive. “Hm. I believe they named him…Xemnas.”

~•~

**Eight Years Ago**

Even though children usually presented whether they were alpha or omega around twelve to fourteen years of age, it was not until sixteen that society deemed them a proper age to marry, mate, and breed. Omegas were expected to stay untouched and pure until that day came for them. Alphas, however, had no such restrictions.

Prince Lea of the family Wise was a prime example of that. As the oldest son of King Ansem, Lea was known among all the noble citizens to be the life of the party. No one brought as much energy to convivial events as Lea did. He laughed and joked around with the other highborn kids, he danced tirelessly and endlessly to the most cheerful and upbeat songs the musicians played, and he was often the host for games and activities featured during the parties, almost always coming out the winner, too, even though he really shouldn’t have been playing.

Though, out all of those things, none of them were as notorious as his flirtatious nature towards the debutante omegas. He was wickedly handsome and he was fully aware of it.

By the age of seventeen, everyone in the kingdom had heard the stories that floated around about Lea’s conquests at these types of events. He’d even admitted himself that it was more or less his entire reason for attending, to search for a bed partner for that particular night. It was because of this that many parents warned the omegas, who had never been to a formal ball and didn’t already know, to avoid Lea at all costs. They worried that his mere proximity was enough to weaken their resolve and tarnish their virtues. 

Isa’s parents were different, though. If anything, they prayed for something to happen between the two of them as they knew it certainly wouldn’t be happening with anyone else. Lea and Isa, though they had been inseparable since they were five, were polar opposites. When Lea was flitting around and enjoying the company of the other nobles in attendance, Isa hovered by the refreshments as far away from the dance floor as the room would allow.

It wasn’t that Isa wasn’t getting any offers. He was getting plenty of them, actually. It was just that Isa had always been a bit picky when it came to suitors. Some were too rowdy, some couldn’t seem to carry on any type of engaging discussion, and others were just ones that Isa simply didn’t like.

Isa had tried explaining to his mother, who nagged in his ear every five minutes, that just because he wasn’t throwing himself at people like the idiotic omegas with doe-eyes and obnoxious giggles, didn’t mean that he wasn’t at least trying. She was never convinced.

Eventually, Isa had come to find out that his mother had been in correspondence with a lord from a faraway country. At one point, she’d mentioned Isa and how he was unwed and unmated and even went as far to have a  _portrait_  sent out to him in secret. Isa was mortified when she told him what she’d done, without his permission.  He felt even worse when she told him that the lord wanted to meet with him in person.

His father was agreeable to the idea, and of course he would be. Isa was an only child, it had been his one and only job from the day he was born to marry high class. Never mind the fact that he was still young, his apparent lack of initiative had caused his parents to grow paranoid and take matters into their own hands.

That meant Isa would have to leave home.

“Corona?” Lea exclaimed when Isa told him about his parents’ plans next day. They sat at their usual spot to talk in the castle gardens, propped up against the large fountain. “That’s a two month trip, isn’t it?”

The two of them were alone. King Ansem had gotten well past the point where he felt the need to assign chaperones to follow the two of them wherever they went. They never did anything that was even  _vaguely_  inappropriate. They were just friends, after all.

Isa bit off another piece of his ice cream that they had bought when they both visited the town earlier before responding. “Yes. We leave in three days. I just wanted to tell you that because I doubt we’ll have time to see each other again before then.”

“That’s too far away, Isa!” Lea whined, a childish pout forming on his lips. “We’ll never get to see each other again.”

“You better not start crying.” Isa turned to the other boy and could see the mist starting to cloud his striking green eyes. “This is all hypothetical, anyway. We don’t even know if he’ll like me yet.”

Lea scoffed. “Of course he’ll like you, idiot. Have you seen yourself?”

“Hmph. Then, in that case, I guess we won’t be seeing each other – not as often, anyway. I promise I’ll write and come to visit whenever I can.” Lea didn’t say anything. “Every once in a while, we could even make arrangements to meet up at that vacation spot that apparently everyone likes so much.” Still nothing. Isa narrowed his eyes. “You know, you’re being very difficult about it. I’m just as upset as you are.”

“Oh, yeah. I can tell you’re  _really_ bothered.” Lea grumbled, pitifully munching on another piece of his ice cream. Then he sighed. “Sorry. I’m being such a jerk. You’re the one that’s got to move to a whole new country after all.” Lea turned to him and grinned. “I’m just gonna miss you is all. Maybe if I’d proposed to you when I had the chance, you’d get to stay.”

Isa blinked, taken aback by the sudden confession. Then, after several seconds, he suddenly let out a string of uncontrollable giggles. It was light laughter as he didn’t want to break the calm and serene atmosphere of the gardens. “Thanks for the offer, Lea, but you’re young. Keep having fun and living your life. I mean, it would be a bit difficult to have those occasional dalliances you enjoy so much if you’re already married, wouldn’t it?

For a moment, Lea seemed surprised by the sudden laughter. He eventually recovered, though, and joined in on the laughter as well, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. Don’t know where that came from, but you didn’t have to laugh that hard, asshole.”

“Well, you caught me off guard. Seriously, though. As a prince and alpha, you’ve were born with the ability to freely choose whom to marry and when to do so. Use that ability to marry because of love, not obligation like me.”

Lea hummed with a thoughtful look on his face. “Right.”

They moved onto lighter topics after that. Finishing off their frozen treats and enjoying each other’s company for the last time, they pretended for a while that nothing was changing. That moment was the way it always would be.

However, it didn’t take long for the illusion to be broken. A few hours later, a maid walked up the flowery path and stood before them, cupping her hands in front of her and bowing her head. “Pardon the interruption, Your Highness, but an escort has arrived to collect Lord Isa.”

“Alright. Thank you.” Lea nodded at her and she hurried away. When she was gone, Lea sighed. “I guess this is it.”

“I suppose it is.” Isa stood up, dropping his empty ice cream stick onto the grass. “I promise I’ll write.” He began walking back towards the castle.   

“Isa, wait a second.”

He turned to see that Lea had also stood up and was holding his arms outstretched, expecting a hug. Isa was normally very reluctant when it came to affection, but now was not that time for such hesitance. He crossed back over to him and stepped into the embrace. They stood like that for several moments, not saying anything.

Then, when Isa tried to pull away, Lea gently grabbed him by the chin and maneuvered his head until their lips were pressed together. He’d never been kissed before, so he didn’t really know what to think. It was soft and far too brief for Isa to even register that it was happening until it was over.

Afterwards, Isa brought his fingers up to his mouth. “Why did you do that?”

“Well, I couldn’t just let you run off without any experience, could I?” Lea teased. “Now you can at least have a comparison.”

Isa scoffed and shoved him away, fighting to keep the smile off his face. “You’re such an idiot.”

“Yeah, I know.” Lea cast his eyes toward the ground and scratched his hair. “Well, er, your ride’s waiting for you. You better get going.”

“Right.” Isa nodded, but continued to stand there for a few seconds, suddenly conflicted. Then turned to leave once again, this time calling over his shoulder, “Goodbye, Lea.”  

Lea stared at the spot where his best friend had been standing moments ago. He shook his head and looked up at the sky. The sun was setting and sky was reflecting a gorgeous, purple-like hue. Strange, that rarely ever happened.  

“…Bye, Isa.”


	2. Reticent Partnership

During the week before they were to embark on their journey towards Pax, Isa had been placed under the careful watch of the Royal Protector.

It was mortifying to have to practically be babysat and led around with a heavy chain like some sort of _dog_ ; the situation was made infinitely worse by the fact that an alpha did the leading. It was as if they both symbolized the worst caste class stereotypes brought to life: domination and submission.

Unfortunately, there was not much that could be done about it. Isa was still a flight risk so it was understandable that the young king would not want him to be wandering around the castle without supervision – temporary alliance or not. One end of the chain was wrapped firmly around Isa’s wrists, and the other end was always held by Xigbar in a tight grip – even when he slept. Isa was forced to sleep in the stiffest positions because even the slightest rattle of the chain stirred Xigbar awake, preventing any simple means of escape.

Deciding his current state of appearance would make him seem a bit too conspicuous, Xigbar took it upon himself to have Isa washed and dressed in common clothes from a shop in a nearby town. The clothing’s material was cheap and ordinary looking. Even so, it was still a step up from the high class garments that became tattered and grimy after years of not properly being cared for in a filthy cell. It had been so long since his hair – considerably longer than it was when he was first locked away – had been cleaned that he’d forgotten what a lovely shade of blue it was.  

At the docks on the morning they prepared to set sail, Isa looked on with a stormy expression as his “caretaker” ignored him in favor of chatting with the captain about an infinite variety of mundane topics. The crew members were taking what seemed like forever to load at least six weeks’ worth of necessities onto the ship. It was so humiliating to have to stand there obediently as if he were a trained pet awaiting his master’s orders. Passersby who were tending to their business would happen past them and stare with strange looks on their faces.

“Glare at the back of my head all you want, Prison Blues,” Xigbar drawled as the captain left to check on something. “You know I’ve got my orders, so deal with it. Besides, I’ve seen much scarier than you. Looks don’t actually kill people, darling.”

Isa straightened his shoulders schooled his face into a challenging look. “No, but strangulation certainly does.” He purposely jerked on the chain to emphasis his point. “After all, I would know.” 

They stared each other down for a long, tense moment. Then Xigbar startled Isa by suddenly throwing his head back in laughter. Once he’d calmed down he turned to the young man beside him. “Hey. You heard that, right, Xeha?”

Isa had nearly forgotten that Xehanort had even accompanied them to the docks. He hadn’t spoken at all that morning other than to succinctly relay orders to the captain. He wore a dark hooded-cloak which he _claimed_ was to easily blend in with the town’s people and reduce the chances of being attacked by an assassinator. However, if that were true, wouldn’t the Royal Protector whose face was more recognizable be wearing one, too?

“Right.” Xehanort answered, hood shrouding his face from view. His voice was a tad bit lower in volume that entire morning, as if he wasn’t able to raise it any higher. He had also been discretely cradling his left arm beneath his cloak in an attempt to hide the occasional tremor that ran through it. Isa had seen it when they were riding in the hansom, but he didn’t think too much about it. Perhaps he’d just caught a chill during the night.

“Xigbar, I know you have a certain proclivity for needling others, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t provoke Lord Isa. It would be troublesome to have to stave off accusations of allowing another murder to happen, this time under my watch.”

Isa could just sense that Xigbar was about to launch into a “but he started it” argument, so he intervened before he could get a word out. “Your Majesty, I thought I heard you tell the captain before that you won’t be joining us on this trip. Is that true?”

“It is. Members of the Oscuro family do not belong outside the borders of the Dāku Empire. It’s not a law, just an ancient superstition. Our ancestors believed that if any of us were to leave the country, we’re doomed to perish.” The fact that the previous king did just that went unstated. “That’s why I’ve entrusted you into the hands of my family’s protector. He may not be the most tolerable travel companion, but he’ll do.”

Ignoring Xigbar’s scoff, Xehanort stepped towards Isa. “Hold out your arms for me, Isa.”

Isa hesitated on instinct for a moment before realizing he was basically given an order and stretched both of his arms out ahead of him. Xehanort grabbed hold of both of his wrists and bent his head low, silver strands escaping from beneath the confines of the hood.

A short stretch of very awkward silence ensued as he proceeded to faintly mutter something too low for Isa to hear. He wasn’t prepared for the scorching sensation that seared beneath his skin after another second or two. His eyes snapped down to where Xehanort gripped his arms. His eyes widened at the sight. His skin had paled to a sickly and abnormal pigment, making the veins visible beneath. They had swelled to double their size as glowing tendrils shot through them. This was the work of dark magic!

Isa quickly snatched his arms away. Almost immediately, the flare that ignited in his veins subsided, they returned to normal size and his skin regained its complexion. However, he knew the effects still had to be there. He shot an icy glare in Xehanort’s direction just as he was tucking his left arm back under the cloak. If the tremor was bad before, it was even worse after that.

“What did you do to me?” He demanded in a dangerously low growl

“Sorry, but if I’d warned you of that beforehand, you might not have let me go through with it.” For his part, Xehanort sounded undeterred by the obvious shift in atmosphere, as though he were expecting the reaction. “This is a simple but effective spell known as the _sigillo oscura_. It’s an invisible branding that only users of the dark arts like myself can interact with. If we’re going to keep in communication, you’re going to need that.”

There was a venomous protest threatening to escape past Isa’s lips, but he reluctantly bit it back. He quite literally had to trap his tongue harshly between his teeth to keep himself from speaking. Blood pooled in his mouth from where his fangs pierced the pink flesh, but he just ignored it.

Luckily, the captain returned and chose that moment to call for them to board the ship. Xigbar tugged on the chain to steer Isa’s attention back towards him. “Alright, we’ve got to go.” He beckoned to a few guards – who were so well disguised that Isa mistook them to be ordinary civilians – to come over.

Once they were near, he muttered to them, “Get the king back to the castle safely. If I get back and find out there were any complications, I’ll have both of you stripped of your ranks faster than your beefy brains can keep up with. Got it?”

“Understood, Lord Protector.”

Xehanort lowered into a smooth bow and rose with practiced grace. “Safe journey, both of you. And Isa, remember that part of our agreement is to remain in communication, so expect my occasional inquiries on progress.”

In translation, he mostly branded him to ensure that Isa was actually doing his assignment and wouldn’t try to abandon their deal. If Isa were to be honest, he’d been considering doing just that once he had finally set foot in Pax. Though, he supposed that line of thinking would no longer be possible. A brief flash of golden irises reflecting a hateful gleam flitted across Isa’s mind and his chest tightened at the memory.

It would be unwise to attempt to cross another Oscuro.

When they finally boarded the ship, Xigbar waved to several crew members in passing as he led Isa down below into a room. It was small and simple with just enough room for the two of them to fit inside – even then, there was only two fingers’ worth of space between them. When Xigbar moved to unwrap the chain, Isa eyed him suspiciously.

“What are you doing?” Isa watched as his end of the chain clattered to the floor and Xigbar knelt down to pick it up. The skin around his wrists was a little raw. He wanted to rub them but not while the other man was present. “Why did you remove the chain?”

“What, you want me to put it back on?” Xigbar raised an eyebrow. “Because, I mean, I don’t care either way. It’s not _my_ freedom we’re talking about here.”

“I just thought your orders were to keep me restrained. You would ignore the wishes of your king?” In Pax, no one would ever dream of defying the orders of King Ansem.

Xigbar shook his head. “He may be my king, but Xehanort’s still a kid and more than a little socially inept. He’s not as good as reading people as I am.” He wrapped the chain into a bundle and tucked it under his arm. “I don’t care how paranoid all these gold-shitting nobles are about your situation. I doubt you’re any immediate threat to anyone right now. Yeah, you were talking tough at the docks earlier, but you really don’t seem like you’re dumb enough to make the same mistake twice. I know I wasn’t.”

 

Isa’s eyes narrowed at that last part. “And that means…?”

 

“Let’s just say this country didn’t always call me ‘Lord Protector’, y’know?” Without further elaboration, he turned and strode out the door. He stopped just before closing it to say, “This is your room for now. If you get hungry or thirsty, there’s food and wine…uh, somewhere. I don’t know, ask for directions.”

With that, Xigbar left, making a show of closing the door behind him but not locking it.

Isa scoped the small space he would be inhabiting for the duration of the trip. The room was mostly empty save for a single bed, a desk with an oil lamp, and a wooden chamber pot. As he glanced over the desk, he was suddenly struck with an idea. He rummaged through the drawers hoping that he would find a quill, some ink, and some parchment paper. He was in luck. Once he organized all of the items that he found, he sat down and began to write a letter. 

Since he wasn’t able to do much of anything during travel, he was, instead, going to focus his attention on fulfilling a promise that he never got the chance to keep.

 

~•~

 

The estimated amount of time that it takes to travel to Pax from the Empire was about three weeks with the fastest ship. During this time, Isa found himself growing restless. True to his word, Xigbar and the crewmen that accompanied them allowed Isa the privilege to wander the ship to his heart’s content. However, all he actually _could_ do was wander and nothing was really all that attention-grasping.

 

It was a big ship, for sure, but not a _large_ one. The reason for that would most likely be because any larger vessel would be more conspicuous. As a result, anything that was even remotely interesting enough to Isa had already been seen by him within the first few days. It was also quiet wherever he went due to most of the passengers seeming to actively go out of their way to avoid him. Though, he didn’t mind that nearly as much as the drunken catcalls from some of the rowdy alpha crew members.

 

Yes, it was true that they were considerably tamer than his fellow prisoners who harbored pent up frustrations. Not at all as abhorrent as the wardens who thought they could get away with doing whatever they wanted with the inmates. A million times preferable than reliving the year he had spent in Dusky Province with _that man_ –

Even so, Isa had always despised being the subject of that sort of attention. Therefore, he mostly spent time in his room. He’d read and proofread his letter a thousand times and each time he reread it, he was struck with the urge to change something or add something new. After about twelve written pages – which was not even including the original pages that he’d started over – he decided that it was time to try something else to entertain himself. 

Late one night, almost five days away from a Pax border, Isa slowly crept from his room making sure not to wake the others and went up to the deck. He went out to the bow and leaned over the railing, breathing in the salty air of the sea. There was something comforting in sailing at night. To Isa, there was something comforting in being underneath the moonlight in general.

At least an hour had passed by when Xigbar came out to join him.

“Didn’t expect you to be out here, Prison Blues. Why so sullen?” Xigbar walked up behind him and clapped him on the shoulders. “You’re so close to home, after all. Anyone else would be weeping with joy.”

He got into the same leaning position beside Isa on the railing and lit a cigar. He puffed out a thick, foul smelling fog that smothered the scent of the ocean before speaking again, “Then again, you’re kind of a grouchy one, aren’t you? What’s the letter for?”

Xigbar gestured to the folded pages still firmly pressed between Isa’s palms, awaiting delivery.

“It’s nothing suspicious if that’s what you’re worried about.” Isa cast an irritated glare in his direction, but Xigbar only stared back, waiting for further elaboration. Isa sighed, “I’m giving it to a dear friend.”

“Oh, it’s one of _those_ letters. Then in that case, I suppose I won’t have to confiscate it.” Xigbar turned his attention back out to the ocean. “Does this friend have a name?”

“Everyone has a name.” Even with the papers folded to hide the contents of the letter from prying eyes, Isa could still vividly picture the elegant curve of a capital L at the top of the first page. “This particular name, though, isn’t of any importance and has nothing to do with our arrangement.” 

“Kind of a cagey answer.”

“It’s a fitting answer one might give to an ‘ally’ who is equally cagey.”

“Ha! Fair enough.” Xigbar took another drag from his cigar. “I’m not being secretive by default, you know. If Xeha thought it was crucial for you to know, I’m sure he would have told you. I don’t blame you for not trusting us, though. Hell, it took him a lot of thinking to even halfway trust you, and you being a criminal hardly has nothing to do with it.”

Isa figured as much. Dusky Province was one of the Empire’s most prosperous and elite states. Single-handedly disposing of its reigning authority was no easy feat. Subsequently, Xehanort and several other nobles of his court hadn’t even batted a lash at the crime itself and more so _marveled_ at the fact that it had been done.

Isa’s nationality was the bigger cause of concern. Pax and the Empire were natural enemy countries. Nobody knew why, but that’s the way it had always been.

The idea that Xehanort, as the leader and protector of his country, placed his trust in an outsider to fulfill an urgent task with no guarantee was absurd. All for what, though? A single captive? That’s what intrigued Isa the most, this person who he’s never seen or heard of being held by Pax. Even stranger, why is _now_ the time that they choose to do something about it?

“To be honest, I greatly question the security of your land if Xehanort chooses to make decisions as reckless as this.”

“You’re one to talk, sweetie, but whatever.” Xigbar chuckled. “I will say that this whole thing doesn’t exactly benefit our country, nor does it harm yours. It really only involves a handful of people and that’s about it.”

“Wait. Then it really is just personal?” Isa blurted, incredulously.

No, that couldn’t be all. There was no way in hell it was _that_ irrelevant. He could sense that there was more conclusive information deliberately being withheld from this conversation. 

“It’s just _very_ personal.” Xigbar answered, seriously. “I’ve been with the Oscuros for a little over thirty years now. If I didn’t have to be included in something like this, I wouldn’t be. Trust me, you’re much better off just going in blind. Makes it easier.”

Had Isa been put in a better position, he would have refused to continue down a path with such little knowledge. Unfortunately, there was no way to escape this now, not with the _sigillo oscura_ still present within his body. The dark arts was something that Isa along with every child in Pax had been taught extremely young not to tamper with. There was no telling what could be done to him if he tried to run from responsibility.

However, fear of imminent death was now not the only reason why Isa wanted to see this plan through. He didn’t want to admit it but, damn it, Xigbar’s words had him intrigued. Clearly, there was a cloak of mystery that surrounded this whole thing and since no one was going to willingly provide him answers, he’s going to be the one to remove the cloak himself.

“Fine.” Isa stood up straight, about to take his leave and retire to bed. “If you claim that this little scheme won’t bring defilement to my land, I’ll hold you to that. Let’s just hope your boy king knows how to keep his word.”  

“G’night.” Xigbar turned to call out as he watched Isa return to his quarters. Unsurprisingly, he got no response back. He sighed and took one last drag before flicking the cigar into the dark waters below. He lifted his one good eye up to the stars. “Damn you, you old coot. See the mess you left me with?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed ~
> 
> If you have any questions or if anything is not clear enough you, please let me know. I will do my best to explain and even change some things if needed. ^_^


	3. A Familiar Land

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to **areweoutofthewoods** **HartKii** and **SmittenKitten143** for your amazing comments! Here is the third chapter.

“Alright, Prison Blues, you ready?” Xigbar peeked his head into Isa’s room a few evenings later. “If not, then I’m sorry because this is where we drop you off.”

“What?” Isa looked up from his seat at the desk and frowned. If his calculations were right, they had to be at least a day away from the nearest state border. “Why now?”

“We can’t risk getting caught sneaking over there, so we’re sending you off on your own from here. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna make you swim.” Xigbar laughed. “Follow me out.”

Isa snatched his letter from the desk and folded it before stuffing it into the pocket of his trousers and going with Xigbar. He led him around to the side of the ship where a dinghy was waiting to be lowered into the water. “We brought this along because you’re going to use it to carry yourself to the border. It’s plain looking so, if they spot you, they’ll hopefully mistake you for a lost fisherman at first.”

Doubtful. It was a good idea in theory, but, if Isa’s memory was correct, there were towers of light aimed directly at the water near the border of each state in Pax. An unrecognizable boat floating towards the docks from an indiscernible location would be an immediate cause of suspicion. He told this to Xigbar.

“It would probably be different if I was unconscious. Then I could pretend to be the survivor of a ship wreck or something,” Isa said in jest, completely deadpan.

Xigbar paused and brought his hand up to his chin, looking like he was contemplating something. “True…”

 “Right, so what do we do?”

Asking that question was the last thing Isa remembered before he was unexpectedly hit hard over the head with something blunt, knocked into the void of sleep.

 

~•~

 

Four carriages rolled along the decorative cobbled streets of Radiant Garden, the elite and prosperous capital of the country. The passengers that inhabited the leading carriage were well-known and adored by the people, so it was no surprise when residents of the capital, both poor and wealthy, all gathered around to either wave politely or shout greetings as they passed through town

In a burst of excitement to return the greeting, a dark-haired girl leaned halfway out of the window and waved enthusiastically to the people with a bright smile. The blonde haired boy beside her did the same, but remained sat in his seat. It was only when they had exited downtown and were entering an area populated by prestigious residences did the girl return to her own seat. Not too long after, they arrived at the front gates of a luxurious estate, proudly putting any other mansion in the area to shame. This home held the kind of extravagance and beauty that could only be resided in by royalty or very high-rank peerage. In this case, it was the former.

Outside on the lawn, Prince Lea was in the middle taking his horse out for a vigorous ride. The summer sun beamed brightly and the weather was so close to perfection that he just had to get out and exercise his limbs. He so rarely ever got to do that as of late with paperwork piling up tremendously and his father constantly requesting his presence during meetings with the court council. Not to mention, there was yet _another_ meeting approaching that he should have been preparing for, but this break was greatly needed.

It was late afternoon when Lea finally decided that he’d had enough. He rode all the way back to the stables and climbed down off of his horse. He made sure to show extra affection towards his beautiful chestnut mare as he didn’t know when they would go out together again. Then he turned her back into the hands of the stable keep and trekked back up the hill to his mansion. His butler was waiting by the door with a pinched expression along with a footman who held a glass of iced water and a dry towel as soon as he entered.

“Thank you.” Lea nodded as he took the water. Before taking a sip, he turned to the butler. “Did something happen?” 

The butler kept his hands firmly clasped behind his back, posture stiff and lips thinned. “The young lord and lady arrived an hour ago and are waiting for you, Your Highness.”

“An hour ago?” Lea asked after downing the water. He handed the glass back in exchange for the proffered towel to wipe the sweat from his face. “Why wasn’t I told as soon as they got here?”

“Apologies. In the midst of all the commotion, none of us were able to make you aware of the situation.”

At Lea’s very confused head tilt, the butler sighed and gestured for him to follow. Lea put the towel over his shoulders and allowed himself to be taken to the drawing room. The two teens were each situated on plush accent chairs with a table between them where a half-eaten tray of cakes and a pot of tea sat. They seemed to be engaged in a heated discussion and, therefore, were not alerted to Lea’s arrival. 

“Well, well, well. Why am I not surprised that you two are late getting back here _again_?” Lea loudly announced himself as he stood in the arched entryway of the room. Both of them started at the sound of his voice and jumped up from their seats. “This is the third time you’ve done this. Next time, I’m sending you with a chaperone.” Despite his scolding and empty threats, Lea still walked over to them with his arms outstretched and yanked them both into a tight hug. The boy mumbled something against his torso about the smell of sweat and horses.

“Deal with it.” Lea replied, but he did pull away after a few more seconds. “So, Roxas,” He turned first to the boy, and then the girl, “and Xion. What excuse do you two have for me this time?”

He folded his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow, waiting for them to give him a reasonable explanation. Every once in a while, Lea allowed them to go off on their own to visit three children their age that they had made friends with at some point. They lived in Twilight Town, a commoner state, and it only took about three days to travel there and three days back by transport. Roxas and Xion always managed to return almost a day later than planned.

“Don’t look like that. We actually have a really good reason for being late this time.” Roxas turned and gave Xion a pointed look. “Right, Xion?”

Xion blinked, momentarily taken aback from being addressed so abruptly. She recovered quickly and frowned. “Why do I have to be the one to explain it? I thought it was going to be both of us.”

“This was your idea wasn’t it? _I_ didn’t want to do this in the first place.” Roxas folded his arms over his chest and continued in a tone that made it evident they had been having this same fight for the whole ride, “If we had done this my way, the whole thing would be out of our hands and we might have even been here on time.”

“But if we did it your way, then we would feel guilty forever because we let someone die when we could have done more!”

“Eh?” was the ineloquent sound that Lea made in response to that last outburst. At this point, he was used to them giving him outlandish and imaginative excuses for their tardiness. He even found it amusing that they always went the extra mile to make their stories more convincing with a little bit of acting. However, he thought that this was stretching it a bit too far. “Uh, what kind of roleplay is this, guys?”

“It’s not roleplay. We’re serious.” Xion glanced at Roxas out of the corner of her eye, hoping that he would support her with some of his own input. He just gave her an encouraging pat on the back and remained silent. Xion sighed, “Okay, well. The day before we left, we were down by the reservoir with our friends and there a man by the dam. His boat was turned over and he had a head injury. It looked terrible and he probably wouldn’t have lasted long without good treatment so, uh…I kind of wanted to bring him to be looked at by one of our doctors. We had the staff take him to rest down in the servants’ quarters a while ago…”

For a long moment, Lea just stared at her. He waited for them to tell him that this was a joke and that they didn’t really sneak an unknown, possibly hostile individual into his home without his permission. He wanted to see their faces light up in their usual _we got you_ grins and they could all laugh it off and move on like nothing happened; their expressions didn’t move. He recalled the butler’s words from earlier. This must have been the commotion he referred to.

Lea slowly unfolded his arms and planted his hands on his hips instead. “You did what?”

“We’re sorry, Lea, but we couldn’t just leave him all alone like that. What would you have done?”

“What I would have done was drop him off at a nearby clinic and let that be the end of it.” Lea had to admit: this honestly was a damn good excuse. However, he was kind of hoping that they had given him another story about being attacked by a warlock instead. This was not something he wanted to be dealing with on his well-deserved day off.

“We tried that. Apparently, the open wound led to an infection which caused a fever and the doctors in Twilight Town’s clinic don’t have the same materials and skill training as the capital’s doctors, especially the Court Physician. The best they could have done was wait it out and hope that he made it through it.”

Their clinic doesn’t have the requirements needed to properly take care of the citizens? That’s no good. Lea was going to have to bring that up with his father at the next council. For now, though, there were more pressing matters at hand.

“Okay, but…why did you bring him _here_?” Lea pointed at the place he was standing to emphasize his question. He was still having a lot of trouble following this line of logic. “The Court Physician has his own clinic in town with plenty of doctors.”

“That’s what I said!” Roxas exclaimed, finally adding his verbal contribution to the complicated circumstance. “It would have been so much easier to do that, but Xion wanted to turn this into a house visit for some reason.”

“Because he needs _immediate_ attention.” Xion balled her hands up into fists and raised them up, blue eyes reflecting fierce earnestness.  This was usually the way she looked when she was about to launch into a speech. “The clinic is in high demand right now, so there would probably be a waiting period. If he goes any longer without treatment for his injury especially now that he has an infection, he might not make it. Also, who’s to say that…”

She went on about how, since they found him, he was “their responsibility” and “not helping is almost as bad as murder” and – oh, Foretellers help him. She really was launching into an entire, dramatic speech.

“Okay, look, Xion. It’s alright.” Lea rested a soothing palm on the top of her head. She calmed herself and look up at him. “I see where you heart’s at, but we don’t know this man. I’m just concerned for our wellbeing that’s all. Now we’re going to take him back to town _but_ ,” He hastily added when he saw she was about to protest, “I’m going to personally talk to one of the physicians and get them to prioritize him alright?”

She still didn’t seem appeased, but she knew it was impossible to completely get her way. The compromise would have to do.

“So you’re not mad at us, right?” Roxas asked, seeming a little worried of the answer.

“’Course not!” Lea flashed one of his famous, easy going grins. “I love how passionate you two are about helping people. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that you did this without talking to me, and you even got the staff involved. That’s not fair to them or me, but at least you know for next time. Don’t worry about it.” 

They both nodded and Lea sighed. “Okay, I’m glad the problem is solved. Let’s –”

“Your Highness, my young lord and lady!” a maid came running into the room with a frantic look on her face. “There is a problem. You must come see!”

Lea was so tempted to grab one of the sofa pillows and scream.

Down in the servants’ quarters, they noticed that the door leading into a previously unused room was wide open. Out of the corner of his eye, Lea watched Xion bring a hand up to her mouth and gasp when they noticed the bloody finger prints around the knob and, more importantly, that the temporary occupant was no longer there.

Lea stepped further inside to better inspect the room. The thin pillow at the head of the cot was stained crimson on one side where he assumed the person’s injury was. Soaked wrappings that were most likely used to temporarily stymie the bleeding had fallen to the ground, bunched up in torn pieces by the foot of the cot. They must have been poorly wrapped to have come undone so easily. Lea sniffed and caught a faint scent still lingering in the small space that was painfully familiar…

Lea pressed his lips together and turned back to the doorway. Xion and Roxas stood there with their faces sporting similar shades of green, so that’ll be an entirely different mess that will have to be cleaned up. Great. “You know, all I wanted to do today was ride my horse and sleep.”

“I was the one to rewrap his injury, but I suppose I should have left that job to someone more competent,” The maid muttered apologetically. “Forgive me. I should have been more attentive.”

“It’s our fault. We shouldn’t have brought some stranger into the mansion anyway.”

“No, it’s mine. You didn’t even want to do this in the first place, Roxas.”

“Hey, listen, it’s nobody’s ‘fault’, okay?” Lea reassured them. “He couldn’t have gotten far. Not with a head wound and a fever slowing him down. We’ll just have to get the guards and staff to search for him. What did he look like?”

 

~•~

 

When Isa woke on an unfamiliar mattress with a blistering headache and his skin on fire, he made a silent vow to annihilate Xigbar if he ever saw him again. If he’d known the stupid bastard was going to take him seriously, he would not have made such a careless comment. There was white cloth falling around his face and obscuring his sight, so he ripped it off and threw to the ground. Liquid trickled down the side of his head and, when he reached up to touch it, he wasn’t at all surprised to see bright red coating on his fingers when he drew them back. Maybe the cloth was meant to be bandaging, but it certainly didn’t do its job as efficiently as one would hope.

He could hear muffled voices outside, people bustling around as if in a hurry. He needed to find out where he was. It was as if his body took the initiative to carry him away without giving his mind the time to catch up. Not that his mind had completely caught up yet. His thoughts were incoherent and his vision swam with every slight movement he made. Despite all that, he dragged himself up from the cot and stumbled towards the door. He gripped the handle and opened it just enough to listen for people. No one seemed to be around anymore, so he stepped out into the hall.

He passed by the same room he woke up in several times thinking that he was somehow trapped in a time loop until his mind belatedly suggested that he must be in the servants’ quarters. All of the rooms were supposed to look similar. If that was the case, then that meant he definitely had to be in a noble’s residence. He wasn’t sure just yet whether that information was good or bad. What he did know was that the servant rooms were traditionally kept in the basement near the laundry room. Where there was a laundry room, there were laundry lifts. He could use one of those to carry him to the upper floors.

He was in luck. It wasn’t the laundry room, but it was a food storage pantry with a lift of its own to carry food up to the kitchens. When he climbed in, he was dismayed to find that it was a very snug fit. Although, he didn’t know what else he expected. The last time he’d ridden in one of these, he was a child. It took more effort to tug on the pulley than his body was currently capable of, but he managed to take himself up as high as it could possibly go after several breaks in between. Evidently, it only seemed to only be up one floor. All of that mustered energy for practically nothing.

Isa slumped against the walls of the lift to rest and recover for a moment. He tensed when he heard a whirlwind of movement just outside of the door and prayed that no one would open it. He knew that if any guards or staff were to catch him snooping around, they would probably mistake him as a hostile. If he could somehow bypass all of them and find the owner of the mansion himself, he might have a chance at explaining his situation. Hopefully, they won’t think he’s mad and will even help him get in contact with the castle.

Conveniently, they didn’t bother looking in the lift, appearing to be more focused on what they were doing outside. There was slamming of cupboards and movement of metal pots. It was as if they were desperately searching for something – or someone. Once they had given up and it quieted down once again, he climbed out and continued on his mission.

In the middle of creeping down the hall and being wary of any incoming figures, Isa’s stomach suddenly lurched and he was overcome by a wave of nausea. He staggered to the side and leaned on the closest object for support, which happened to be a bust. Once he had hardly managed to keep himself from vomiting all over the floor, he started to feel the podium that the bust was attached to shift to the side. He quickly stood up straight, thinking that his weight was moving it; however, he saw that it was actually moving all on its own. The emerald gems used for the statue’s eyes glowed as it continued to move. It stopped when it had revealed a crawl space that seemed to lead to a hidden area.

Isa was reluctant to explore it at first. It was dark and it was almost entirely possible that there was a death trap waiting within. However, he began to panic when he heard footsteps echo down the hall, rapidly approaching his location. He had no other choice but to hurriedly crouch inside to avoid being discovered. The moment he was in, the bust slowly shifted itself back into its original place.

 

~•~

 

“Has anyone found him yet?” Lea asked for what had to be the millionth time as soon as the butler entered the room. He paced back and forth in his office, growing more frustrated by the second with not hearing any news.

Half of him was frustrated because he was extremely protective and as long as this possible assailant was still in the mansion unsupervised, Roxas and Xion were both potentially unsafe. Immediately after giving orders to the staff to search the entire property, he made them both of them stay in their bedrooms with one additional guard than normal posted outside of each door until further notice.  

However, the other half of him was frustrated because, once he was captured, Lea wanted to see him for himself. After Roxas and Xion gave him a description of the mysterious man they had brought into the mansion, he had been suddenly struck with a visualization of someone of his past who matched almost precisely. It was impossible, he knew – just stupid, wishful thinking. It could very well be only a coincidence considering some of the more glaring details that Lea surely didn’t remember. Still, he couldn’t help but obsess over it. He really just needed to be _certain_.

“If anyone did, you would be the first to know,” was the butler’s patient, recycled answer. “Perhaps, you should take your own orders and retire to your chambers for the evening. It’s been an eventful day for you.”

Lea halted mid-step to give him a petulant glower. “Are you trying to tell me that I’m acting like it’s past my bedtime?”

“I meant no offense, Highness. You have had plenty of other stressing matters to tend to as of late. Since this is something that can most likely be handled without your supervision, you should allow us to handle it and you go get rest.” 

He did have a point, but Lea knew the moment he agreed to return to his room that he was never going to calm his thoughts enough to sleep. Though, he figured he might be able to at least soak in a nice, hot bath. He would have to go and fetch the water himself as the maids were still busy on the search. On his way to the kitchens, he paused at the end of the hall and frowned. There were red, finger smudges on the bust that hid the passageway to his secret chambers. The bust was spelled to only allow entry to Lea and the people he held dear. How could that man have gotten past it?

Maybe the reason why no one was able to find him was because he had gotten himself trapped in there. Only Xion, Roxas, and he himself knew the way out. Lea touched the bust and watched as it slid over to grant access to the secret crawl space. He didn’t hesitate to go inside because if he couldn’t at least hold his own against one man who was pretty much knocking on death’s door, then he couldn’t properly call himself the heir of Pax. 

Once he was in, the enchanted torches along the stone walls illuminated his path. These chambers would basically be a labyrinth for anyone who didn’t know the way around. There were branching paths that each led to a different area of the estate: the rooftops where he and the kids liked to spend time together, Lea’s bedroom for an easy escape in case of marauders, the waterway for no particular reason, and Lea’s special room where he sometimes liked to entertain his “adult company”. Unlike the other rooms, the last one was a dead end as it was just a makeshift area he designed himself. If the man was trapped, it was most likely because that’s where he ended up.

Lea decided to go and check there first. He hadn’t even made to the doorway when a familiar scent overwhelmed him. He was able to smell it even over all the incense. He _knew_ this scent. Though, it was different than he remembered, more matured.  He carefully peeked in passed the curtain that acted as a door for the room and inhaled sharply when he caught sight of long, azure hair. The man was wobbly on his feet and gripped at the drapes that covered a large mural to support himself.

“I knew it.”

Lea realized as soon as the words left his lips that sneaking up on him was a terrible idea. The man flinched violently at the sound of his voice and jumped away from the mural. Picking up the nearest heavy object, he whirled around and was fully prepared to strike Lea with it in order to defend himself.

“Whoa, whoa! It’s okay, put down the hookah.” Lea held his hands out and proceeded forward with caution to prevent him from getting spooked any further. “Isa, it’s me. It’s Lea. You remember, right?” Isa didn’t confirm, but he also didn’t attack Lea when he stopped directly in front of him and slowly brought a hand up to lay on his blood streaked cheeks. “We heard that everyone on your ship was killed in an attack. I thought you had – I’ve missed you so much. What happened?”

Isa still didn’t say anything, nothing on his face changed. After a moment, Lea feared that maybe he no longer remembered him, or that the fever was impacting his sense of recognition. Fortunately, it was the latter. All at once, Isa dropped the hookah, reached into the pocket of his trousers, retrieved some crumpled papers, and pressed them to Lea’s chest. Lea glanced down at them, and then back at him in confusion.

“…I told you I would write,” Isa explained. His speech was slurred, almost garbled.

Lea removed the hand from his cheek to rest it on the one still pressed against his chest. “Isa –”

The whisper of his name was the only thing Lea could utter before watched sea green eyes roll backwards. The hand slipped from his grasp as Isa collapsed onto the stone floor.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Sorry if this didn't seem as dialogue oriented as the other chapters. The next chapter should do a little to make up for it. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so I hope you enjoyed. ~
> 
> Many things will be explained in chunks as the story progresses. Particularly, Isa's backstory and the most recent war between Pax and the Empire. Also, although we won't be meeting Xemnas for awhile, I think you might be surprised to learn what I've done with him in this story. ;-)
> 
> That's all for now ^_^. Find me on tumblr at [akusaiisreal-changemymind](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/akusaiisreal-changemymind)


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